Sakura only stayed in the restaurant for a little while longer.
She was still a young child, and wandering away from home for too long late at night was dangerous.
"Shopkeeper Onii-san, Tohru-nee, thank you for the food. Goodbye," Sakura said, offering a polite, practiced bow to Yuto and the dragon maid.
She then walked over to Hestia. "Onee-san, I will see you tomorrow."
The little girl wore a faint smile as gentle and welcoming as a spring breeze.
Hestia made no effort to hide her overwhelming joy.
The goddess lunged forward, scooping Sakura up into a tight hug.
She nuzzled her cheek enthusiastically against the little girl's soft hair.
"Ahhh, Sakura-chan is just too cute! Mmm!"
Hestia acted exactly like an overly affectionate older sister, holding the child in a vice grip and refusing to let go.
Sakura's sweet smile quickly morphed into a strained, conflicted grimace.
She clearly wanted to push the crushing goddess away, but her inherently soft nature prevented her from raising her hands to resist her.
Watching Hestia's embarrassing display, Yuto let out a heavy sigh.
He stepped out from behind the counter and walked up behind the goddess.
Under Tohru's astonished gaze, Yuto firmly grabbed the back of Hestia's collar and peeled her off the struggling child.
"Hestia, please. Try to act with at least a fraction of divine dignity," Yuto scolded helplessly.
His reprimand didn't provoke a single ounce of reflection from the goddess.
Instead, she just puffed out her cheeks and crossed her arms.
"Whats wrong with a God loving the very first member of her Familia?"
Yuto paused, momentarily stunned.
He opened his mouth, but no words came out. He honestly couldn't find a logical flaw in her defense!
"There is nothing wrong with caring," Yuto countered smoothly, "but didn't you realize your aggressive affection was causing Sakura distress?"
Hearing this, Hestia froze.
She turn around and looked at Sakura with wide eyes.
"Is that true, Sakura-chan? Did I hurt you? If it is true, I promise I will never do it again!" The goddess's voice was laced with genuine panic.
To Hestia, Sakura wasn't just her first familia member, she was the only child in the world willing to join her!
Hestia absolutely refused to be the cause of Sakura's distress, just as fiercely as she would refuse to let anyone else bully the girl.
Under the goddess's intense nervous gaze, Sakura hesitated.
The little girl forced a sweet, reassuring smile onto her face.
"It's okay, Nee-san."
Those simple words made Hestia's face light up with pride and relief.
The goddess turned her head, shooting Yuto a smug, triumphant look that clearly said, 'See? I did nothing wrong.'
Yuto, however, looked past the gloating deity and studied Sakura's face.
He let out a soft, helpless sigh.
His understanding of this little girl deepened. She wasn't just well-behaved, she was self-sacrificing to an incredibly toxic degree.
She would gladly bury her own pain and discomfort just to keep the peace.
"Idiot," Yuto muttered softly, directing the insult at the smug goddess.
Hestia's face flushed red, and she immediately opened her mouth to yell at him, but Yuto ignored her.
He knelt down so he was eye-level with the little girl.
"Sakura," Yuto began, his voice warm but incredibly firm. "Being gentle and kind is a wonderful trait. But you must have your own voice. If something hurts you, or if you don't want to do something, you have to say no. Don't always sacrifice yourself for the sake of others."
Sakura's breath hitched.
Her dull, polite expression faltered.
A glimmer of relief and genuine joy flashed in her large eyes.
Her breathing quickened slightly as the heavy, invisible burden of having to be a 'perfect, compliant doll' lifted just a fraction.
The little girl blinked, and then the corners of her lips curved upward.
She beamed at Yuto, a bright, authentic smile that rivaled the morning sun.
"Yes. Thank you, Shopkeeper Onii-san."
Sakura stepped forward and wrapped her small arms around Yuto's neck, hugging him tightly.
Standing nearby, Hestia watched the exchange with jealous, resentful eyes.
But as soon as Sakura released the chef, the little girl turned and gave Hestia a proper hug as well.
The goddess instantly melted, breaking into a foolish grin.
Yuto looked at Hestia's goofy face and then remembered the terrifying display of omnipotent power she had unleashed just an hour ago to bless Sakura.
'Is this really the same god?' he wondered.
Sakura bowed one final time and slipped out the door into the night.
"Whats wrong with you, Kamisaka? Why do you keep sighing at me?" Hestia asked, crossing her arms as she returned to her usual, bratty demeanor.
Yuto turned and stared at her in dead silence for a full ten seconds.
He stared until the goddess began to squirm, a shy, embarrassed flush creeping up her neck as she tried to cover her face.
Yuto sighed one last time. "Idiot Goddess."
"Hey! Stop calling me that!" Hestia shouted, her face turning as red as a tomato!
"Do you want anything else to eat before I clean the kitchen?" Yuto asked, pivoting back to business.
Hestia's anger evaporated in a millisecond.
A bright smile returned to her face. "Hmm... then I will take another taiyaki!"
...
Tohsaka Residence, Fuyuki City.
Sakura quietly slipped back into her bedroom.
In the bed across the room, her older sister, Rin, was already fast asleep, breathing softly under the blankets.
It was a bit of a shame.
Sakura had really wanted to share the magical events of her night with Rin. She wanted to tell her sister about the delicious fish-shaped bread, the dragon maid and the loud, crying goddess who had claimed her as family.
Standing by the bedside, Sakura looked down at her sister's sleeping face and smiled faintly.
The pale moonlight streamed through the large window, washing over the expensive wooden floorboards.
The air in the estate felt heavy and inexplicably cold.
"Sakura. There's something I need to discuss with you."
The sharp, measured voice came from the doorway.
Sakura turned.
Her father, Tokiomi Tohsaka, stood in the hall.
He was a man of exceptional, rigid elegance. Dressed in a flawless magenta suit, he carried the aristocratic heritage of a generations-old magus lineage in his every movement.
A polite, practiced smile rested on his face.
"Father," Sakura said, walking happily over to his side.
Tokiomi offered a brief nod, took her small hand, and led her out of the bedroom and down the long, shadowed hallway to the main drawing-room.
When they entered, Sakura saw her mother, Aoi, sitting rigidly on a sofa.
Aoi's eyes were downcast, her face pale and unreadable.
And sitting in the high-backed armchair across from her was a man Sakura had never seen before.
He was a bald hunched old man leaning heavily on a wooden cane.
His limbs looked withered and his skin carried a sickening, grey pallor.
"Father, who is this...?" Sakura whispered, shrinking slightly behind Tokiomi's leg.
"Sakura. Do you remember what I have always taught you?" Tokiomi asked, his voice smooth and devoid of any parental warmth.
"No matter what happens, a member of the Tohsaka family must always be obedient, elegant, and strong."
"Yes." Sakura nodded obediently.
She had always listened to her father.
But... right now, her small hands were trembling.
She was terrified!
The bald old man was staring at her.
His sunken, hollow eyes didn't look at her like she was a child.
They looked at her like a predator studying a fresh piece of meat.
The sheer malice radiating from his gaze made her skin crawl.
Tokiomi gestured toward the old man, and the adults began to converse.
Sakura stood silently by the sofa, forced to listen.
Words drifted over her head, heavy and suffocating.
'Adoption... Matou lineage... Magical Crest inheritance... A necessary alliance...'
Sakura felt a crushing pressure build in her throat.
She wanted to scream.
She wanted to run back to Rin's room and hide under the covers.
The tears burned the corners of her eyes, threatening to spill over.
But she forced herself to swallow them down.
She dug her small fingernails into her palms.
She knew she had to be obedient.
She had to be a strong Tohsaka.
'It really hurts...' she thought, remembering Yuto's warm advice about not sacrificing herself.
She wanted to say no.
But in the cold halls of the Tohsaka estate, she didn't have a voice.